Pippi's Lands of Pleasure
by Pre-Animation Man
Summary: A collection of easy to read stories and poems by prominent children's authors
1. Children to Know

Pippi said, "Mother! I want something to eat."

"Eat! Eat!" said his baby sister.

"You will have something soon," said his mother.

"Go and get a fish for us, Pippi."

"Oh, good!" said Pippi,

"I like fish.

I will go right now."

"Fish! Like fish!" said Pippi's little sister.

His mother said, "Come back soon, Pippi."

"All right," he said.

Pippi went up the street. He went to get the fish.

Pippi said to the man, "Mother wants fish. Here is something for you."

"That will get a big fish," said the man.

"Yes," said Pippi. "It is for my mother, and my sister, and me. We like fish."

"You will have all you can eat," said the man, Pippi went out with the fish. He went back down the street. He saw Willie.

Willie said, "Look at this, Pippi. This is fun! Come and play with me."

Pippi laughed. "That is fun!" he said. "But I can't play now. I must take something to Mother. I will come back and play."

"Come right now," said Willie. "The policemen may stop this. Then the little pool will go away, and we can't play in it. This pool is fun."

Pippi didn't come. So Willie said, "Do you see my boat? You can make a boat, too. Come and play right now!"

"All right," said Pippi. "I will play just a little. Then I must go."

"We can make boats and boats from this," said Willie.

Pippi asked, "How did you make that little boat, Willie?"

I will show you," Willie said.

"I want to make two boats,' said Pippi.

"You can show me how to make the first one.

Then I will make one."

"Now we have three boats," said Pippi.

"Count the boats, Willie. One! Two! Three!"

"I have two new ones," said Willie.

Willie put his two new boats on the little pool.

"Now count the boats," he said, "One, two, three, four, five!"

"I did count them," said Pippi. "Three and two make five. And four and one make five,"

Anna went up the street. Pippi called to Anna.

"Come here!" he called. "We have a little pool with boats on it. Can you count the boats?"

"Yes," said Anna.

"I can count.

One, two, three, four, five!"

Then Anna said, "I have a new dress. Do you like it?"

The boys didn't look at Anna's new dress.

"Look at what I can do!" said Willie.

Pippi laughed and said, "I can do that, too."

But Pippi didn't do what he tried to do!

"Oh!" called Anna. "Now see what you did! This dress is all wet! My new white dress! Pippi! You bad boy!"

Soon you will know what Anna did then.

Anna ran at Pippi, but she didn't get to him. She fell down!

The boys ran to help Anna.

"Don't cry!" said Willie. "We will help you up."

Pippi asked, "Did you get hurt?"

"No," said Anna. "I didn't get hurt. But look at my dress! My new white dress! It is not white now!"

Anna began to cry, Pippi said, "Please don't cry. I didn't want to get your dress wet. I wanted to play with Willie. Let's go to my mother. She will get that out of your dress. She will make it white again."

Then Pippi said, "You can eat with us, too. We have fish to eat."

"I like fish," said Anna, Anna and her father and mother live on Pippi's street.

They live right by Pippi.

Pippi's mother helps to look after Anna.

Anna's mother helps her to look after Pippi and his sister.

Anna said, "We can't go to my house. Mother is away. But she lets me go to your house. And I know she will want my dress white again. Let's go."

Pippi said to her, "Let me get the fish. Then we will go to Mother."

Pippi went to get the fish. He didn't see it!

He looked up the street and down the street. But he didn't see it.

Pippi began to yell at Willie. "Willie!" he yelled. "Come back here with my fish! We must eat that fish!"

Willie yelled back at Pippi, I didn't take your fish!"

"Then who did take it?" Pippi yelled.

"I don't know," yelled Willie. But I know I didn't."

Two policemen went by.

One policeman said, "Here, boys! Stop that yelling right now! What is the yelling about?"

Pippi began to cry. "I want my fish!" he said, "It is for my mother and sister, too. I Make Willie give it back to me!

"I didn't take the fish," said Willie.

"I can't give it back."

Anna saw a big black cat.

"Look at that cat!" she called. "It has something! Did it get your fish from the street, Pippi?"

"That is my fish!" yelled Pippi He began to run, but the black cat did, too.

They all ran after the cat.

"Now what can I do?" asked Pippi.

One of the policemen said, "We will help you. We will not let that cat get your fish if we can help it. We will get something and help you up."

The policemen did help Pippi go after the black cat. Pippi went up and up. But he didn't get to the cat.

Anna said, "Don't get hurt, Pippi."

The policemen called, "Come down, Pippi. We will help you get down. The cat will go on up, and you can't get it."

Just then the black dog saw a cat, It didn't want to go by the cat.

What did the cat do then?

The big black dog began to run back down. It ran by Pippi.

The fish fell, and Willie got it.

"I got it, Pippi!" yelled Willie. "I have the fish for you!"

The policemen helped Pippi to get down.

Pippi's mother said, "Pippi! You didn't come back soon. Why didn't you?"

"I was with Willie," said Pippi, "We were at a little pool. I know it was not right. I will not stop again if you tell me to come back soon."

Pippi's mother looked at Anna and saw her wet dress.

"Why, Anna!" she said.

"What did you do to your white dress?"

Pippi said, "We were playing and I got it wet. Then Anna fell down. That is why her dress looks bad, But she was not hurt. Mother, will you do something about her dress?"

"Yes," said his mother.

"I will see about her dress, I can make it white again. I will give Anna something to put on. And I will give all of you something to eat."

"Just look at that dress!" said Pippi.

"It is white again!"

"Yes," said his mother. "Anna can put it on. It is not wet now."

Anna said, "Thank you for the dress. It looks just like new! And thank you for the fish, too. I liked that fish!"

So did I!" said Pippi.

* * *

Annika went to live in a new house.

She lived in it with her father and mother,

Annika liked the new house, but she didn't like to live in it.

She didn't know the children on that street.

She didn't have a friend to play with her.

That is why she didn't like to live in the new house.

Day after day went by.

Annika's mother said, "Children live all around here. But they don't know you. That is why they don't come. Soon they will get to know you, and they will come to play."

Annika saw the boys and girls who lived on her new street.

She saw the children playing and she wanted to play, too.

But they didn't call her to come and play.

And she did not ask to play.

Day after day Annika looked at the children playing.

One day two girls were on bikes

Something was not right with a wheel on one girl's bike.

She jumped off.

Annika wanted to say to her, "Ride my bike."

But she didn't.

Annika wanted to say to the girls, "I want you for my friends." But she didn't say it. She was not happy.

One day Annika put on a new dress.

It was red and white, and it was a good dress.

Then she went down the street.

Annika wanted to show the new dress to a friend.

But she didn't have a friend. She was not happy.

Annika went on. She saw a blue package in the street.

"Now what is that?" she said.

Annika looked at the package. She saw something on it. It said,

"To Oliver. Happy Birthday!"

"Oh!" said Annika. "The package is for Oliver. It is for his birthday. Now who is Oliver?"

Two policemen were on the street. Annika asked the policemen about it, They didn't know Oliver.

Annika ran to tell her mother about the package.

"Look, Mother!" Annika said.

"This package was on the street. It is for Oliver's birthday. But who is Oliver? I asked the policemen, but they didn't know. And they didn't know why the package was on the street. It will not be a happy birthday for Oliver with no package."

Annika's mother looked at the birthday package.

"I don't know Oliver," she said.

"Is Oliver one of the children on this street?"

"Not one that I know," said Annika

"Oliver may be a boy or a girl," said her mother.

"You must look for Oliver."

"I don't know where to look," said Annika.

"Where can Oliver be?"

"You can ask at the houses on this street," said Annika's mother.

"The package was on this street, so she may live on it."

"She?" asked Annika. "Oliver may be a boy,"

Her mother laughed.

"That's right," she said.

"Oliver may be a he or a she. You can ask about Oliver on this street first. We will see if Oliver lives in a house on this street."

Annika went down the street to the first house.

She saw a boy and his sister.

Annika asked if they knew a boy or girl called Oliver.

"No, we don't," said the boy, "not a boy or a girl."

Annika went to the next house. No one was at that house. She went to the next house, and the next one, and the next one. No one knew where Oliver lived. No one knew Oliver.

Annika went to a big white house. She saw a little old man. Annika asked him if he knew a boy or girl called Oliver.

"A boy called Oliver?" asked the little old man.

"Or a girl?"

Then the little old man said, "No. I don't know a boy or a girl with that name."

Annika went to all the houses.

She didn't find Oliver.

She didn't find where Oliver lived, Annika's mother said, ''Did you ask at the big white house?"

"Yes, I did," said Annika. "I saw a little old man. He didn't know where Oliver lives."

Mother said, "The big white house has a little house back of it. Did you ask at it?"

"I didn't know about that house," said Annika.

"I will go to it next and see if I can find Oliver."

Annika ran down the street to find the little house.

She went by four or five houses. Soon she saw the little house. A small orange cat was by it. The cat ran to Annika.

"Hello!" said Annika.

The cat began to jump up and down.

He jumped up on Annika and tried to take the package.

"Why, he wants Oliver's package!" said Annika.

She put the package up high so the cat could not get it.

The small orange cat jumped up high.

He jumped and jumped.

Annika put the package back of her.

That didn't help.

The black cat ran around and jumped for it.

Annika tried to make him stop, but she could not do it.

Just then Annika saw a boy at the little house.

She knew the his brother.

It was Tommy.

Tommy played with the children on Annika's street.

Annika wanted her for a friend.

"Hello, Tommy," said Annika.

"I didn't know you lived here."

"Yes, I do," said Tommy. "Where do you live?"

"In the new house," said Annika.

"Good!" said Tommy. "We can play together and be friends."

Then Tommy said to the cat, "Oliver! Don't jump on Annika! She has on her good dress, and you may hurt her. Don't be a bad cat!"

"Oh!" said Annika.

"Is your cat called Oliver?"

"Yes," that's his name," said Tommy, "This is his birthday."

"This package must be for your cat," said Annika.

"It has his name on it."

Tommy looked at the name on the blue package.

Oliver jumped high to get it, but he couldn't.

Tommy said, "Stop! I will give you your birthday package!"

Tommy put the package down, and Oliver got into it in a hurry. He was a happy cat!

Two things were in the package. Oliver looked at just one thing. What he saw was a big bone.

How Oliver went for that bone!

Tommy laughed and said, "The bone is like a birthday cake to him."

Annika said, "I did find Oliver! Happy birthday, Oliver!"

Oliver couldn't say "Thank you!" He just said, "Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Tommy said, "It is a good thing that you saw the package, Annika. Now I know where you live. My little sister and I can play with you. I will take you to see my friends, and all of us will play together."

"Yes, it is a good thing," said Annika.

"I wanted a new friend, and now I have one!"

"You have two new friends," said Tommy.

"Oliver will be your friend, too."

This story is about two boys who lived on Green Street. One boy's name was Rachel. One boy's name was Kirsty.

The two kids lived together in a white house.

It was a good house, and the kids liked to live in it.

They knew the girls and boys on Green Street.

They had good friends.

* * *

Rachel and Kirsty were sisters. Rachel looked just like Kirsty. Kirsty looked just like Rachel. They were twin brothers.

Rachel liked to do what Kirsty did. Kirsty liked to do what Rachel did. They liked to be together.

Rachel liked all the children on Green Street.

But he liked his twin brother best of all.

Kirsty liked all the children on Green Street, too.

But he liked his twin brother best of all.

They were happy together.

In the morning the boys said, "Hello, Rachel."

"Hello, Kirsty."

This is how the twins began" a good day together.

At night the twins said, "Good night, Rachel." "Good night, Kirsty."

Then they went to sleep, But One day Rachel said, "If you go away, I will write to you, Kirsty. I will write you a letter. I will tell you about things here."

Kirsty laughed.

He said, "That's good. Rachel. But you won't write the letter. If I go away, you will go, too."

Rachel laughed.

"That's right," he said.

"If you go, I will go, too."

Kirsty said, "I have the best brother a I ever had."

"No," said Rachel. "I have the best brother a boy ever had."

The girls laughed. Then they began to look at a TV show.

The twins liked to see things on TV. They looked at one TV show in the morning.

They looked at one show at night.

On that morning the show was the best they had ever seen.

They saw a man on it, and he had a cat.

It was not an old cat.

It was just a little puppy.

The man said, "We will give this cat away. I will tell you how you may get him. Just write a letter to me. Tell me why you want the little cat. The one who writes the best letter will get the puppy. Why not try it? You may get the cat!"

The twins looked at the little cat on the TV.

He was the cutest little puppy they had ever seen!

"We could have fun with that puppy," said Rachel.

"Yes, we could have fun with it," said Kirsty.

"It could find two good friends here."

After the TV show, Rachel looked at Kirsty.

Kirsty looked at Rachel.

They said together, "I want that little puppy!"

It was fun just to talk about the puppy.

"I love that puppy," said Rachel. "I know I can take care of him."

"I love that puppy," said Kirsty. "I know I can take care of him."

"Why not write a letter?" said Kirsty. "Let's try to get that puppy."

"A letter is hard to write," said Rachel, "Can we do it?"

"I don't know, but he can try," said Kirsty.

Rachel said, "I will try hard, I want that puppy!"

All that day they tried to write the letter. It was hard to write. They couldn't get it right.

The next morning and the next night they tried again.

On the next day after that they did write it!

This is what the twins said in the letter.

We are twin brothers, Rachel and Kirsty If we get the little puppy, We will take good care of him. Two of us will love him.

And not just one. Two will play ball with him

And see that he has fun. For that little puppy

On the TV screen Was the cutest little puppy

We have ever seen.

Kirsty Jones Rachel Jones

The Best Letter

After the letter went, the twins looked and looked at TV. They didn't see the little cat.

Five or six days went by. Then one morning they saw the man who had the cat.

The man said, "Now we can tell you who had the best letter. It was hard to tell the best one. So we won't give just one prize. We are going to give three."

Then the TV man showed one of the prizes.

He said, "This is not the first prize. It is something you will like. A boy gets this prize. I will tell you his name."

The man didn't say, "Rachel Walker." He didn't say, "Kirsty Tate." He didn't say the name of a boy or girl on Green Street.

The twins didn't get that prize.

The TV man showed a black cat for the next prize.

He said the name of the one who was to get the little cat.

He didn't say, "Rachel Walker." He didn't say, "Kirsty Tate." He said the name of a girl.

"I don't care if she did get the little black cat," said Kirsty. "That's not the prize I want."

"No," said Rachel.

"It is not the prize I want."

"Now comes the puppy," said the TV man.

He showed the little brown puppy.

"The puppy is the first prize," he said.

"It is the cutest little puppy we have ever seen. We are going to give it for the best letter of all."

Then the TV man said, "This prize will go to two boys They are twin sisters, and they live on Green Street Their names are Rachel Walker and Kirsty Tate."

Rachel and Kirsty jumped up and down They yelled to their mother about the prize puppy.

Their mother said, "Good! You will love the little puppy. Now do stop yelling so!"

Two days went by. Then they got the puppy.

"He is the cutest puppy I have ever seen!" said Rachel,

Kirsty said, "He is the cutest puppy I have ever seen!"

"You must try to take good care of him," said their mother.

"Oh, we will!" said the twins. "We will love him, too."

The twins wanted to show the puppy to the children.

So the next morning they went out on Green Street with him.

Rachel and Kirsty ran with the puppy. He jumped around and played. It was hard to run with him. All the girls and boys on Green Street liked the puppy.

The twins went back to their house, The puppy had something to eat. Then he went to sleep.

Six days went by.

Then one morning Rachel said, "I just love that puppy!"

I love him, too," said Kirsty.

Rachel looked at strange fairy, is Lauren the Puppy Fairy. Lauren looked at 2 girls. Lauren said together. "The puppy has no name!"

"We must name him," said Rachel,

"Yes," said Kirsty.

"We must give him a name. What can we name him?"

Rachel said a name that he liked,

"No," said Kirsty.

"I don't like that name."

Then Kirsty said a name that he liked.

"No," said Rachel.

"I don't like that name."

Kirsty tried again.

Rachel didn't like that name.

Rachel said five or six names.

Kirsty said five or six names.

the two girls didn't want the names Lauren wanted.

Rachel didn't want the names Kirsty wanted.

So it went.

The boys began to quarrel.

They were not happy.

Kirsty knew the name that Rachel liked best.

It was Zip.

Rachel knew the name that Kirsty liked best.

It was Snapper.

Kirsty didn't like Zip. Rachel didn't like Snapper, Rachel said, "He must have a name, We will call the puppy Zip."

"No, we won't call him Zip," said Kirsty.

"His name is Snapper. I like that name best."

"I don't care what you say," said Rachel.

"His name is not Snapper! I won't have it!"

Rachel was not happy. And Kirsty was not happy.

That night Rachel didn't say good night to Kirsty.

Kirsty didn't say good night to Rachel.

That was the first night that the boys had not said good night, It was hard not to say good night. But they didn't say it. Rachel didn't say a thing. And Kirsty didn't say a thing.

The next morning came. It was the boys' birthday. Rachel didn't say, "Happy birthday, Kirsty!" Kirsty didn't say, "Happy birthday. Rachel!" They just began to quarrel again about the puppy's name.

Four days went by, then five, and then six.

The boys didn't name the puppy,

The Lauren the Puppy Fairy said, "This puppy must have a name. Why don't you boys get together about it? Then you will be happy again."

It was hard for the twins to get together on a name. All they did was quarrel.

One day the twins came in and didn't see the little cat.

They looked all around in the house.

They went out and looked up and down the street.

They couldn't find the little cat.

Their puppy was lost.

The boys wanted to call the puppy. How could they call him if he had no name?

All the boys could do was whistle for their lost cat,

At the first whistle, a little cat came on the run.

He was not their cat.

At the next whistle, a big cat came. A little black cat came, too. Their puppy didn't come.

At the next whistle, six cats came.

Big cats and little cats, black, white, and brown cats came.

Not one of the six cats was their little brown puppy.

All that day the brothers looked for their prize puppy.

They asked the boys and girls on Green Street about him.

No one had seen the little cat go by.

Night came, and the boys had to stop looking.

It was hard to go back with no puppy.

Both of the twins wanted to cry, but they didn't.

"Where can he be?" they said

The boys didn't find the puppy. But that night it came back to their house.

It wanted something to eat.

The twins were so happy! They were too happy to quarrel The puppy was happy, too.

The boys got the puppy something to eat.

Then it went to sleep.

One morning the twins were both looking at the puppy.

Then they began to quarrel again.

"You don't try to name him," said Rachel.

"Zip is the right name for him."

"You are the one," said Kirsty. "You won't try to name him! The right name is Snapper."

Lauren said, "Now, girls. Don't quarrel like that. It won't help."

"But Daddy!" said Kirsty.

"If the puppy had a name, we could call him. Rachel won't let him have a name. Rachel won't call the puppy Snapper."

Rachel said, "No, Daddy! It is Kirsty who won't let him have a name. He won't call the puppy Zip."

"Both of you can't have what you want," said their Lauren the Puppy Fairy. "Both of you must give in a little. You must get together on a name."

"How?" asked Rachel.

"How?" asked Kirsty.

"I can tell you something to try," said the rest of the Pet fairies.

"First write the two names you like best. Then I will show you."

The girls did that.

"Now!" said The Pet fairies. "Write the first three letters of the name Rachel likes."

The boys counted the letters. "Zip!" said both boys together, "Now write the last three letters of the name Kirsty likes."

"Per!" said Rachel and Kirsty.

"Now put the two together," said their Lauren the Puppy Fairy.

"What do you get?"

"Zipper!" yelled both boys.

Now if you go on Green Street, you may see twin boys.

Both of the girls may call together, "Zipper! Zipper!"

Down the street will run a little brown puppy.

It will be the cutest little puppy you have ever seen.

You will see two happy girls. They are good brothers again. They are good friends, too.


	2. Friends on the Farm

Tommy lived on a farm.

He had a big brother.

His brother's name was Willie

One morning Willie ran into the house,

"Mother! Mother!" he yelled.

"The black and white cow has twins, One of the twins is little and one is big. Daddy said I could have the big twin for my calf!"

Tommy looked at his mother. "I want a twin, too," he said.

"You are too little," said Willie.

"You have to be big like me to take care of a calf. I will take good care of my calf. I will show him at the fair. You are not big enough to do that."

Tommy yelled, "I am too big enough!"

He ran by Willie. He ran on to the barn where the cows were.

As he ran, he yelled back at Willie, "I don't care what you say! I can take as good care of a calf as you!"

Willie's mother said, "Don't quarrel with your little brother, Willie. Don't make him cry."

"Oh, Tommy won't cry," said Willie "He is not a baby."

Tommy went into the barn.

The mother cow was there.

Both her twins were with her.

The little twin looked like the big twin.

It was just not as big as the big calf.

Tommy loved the little twin right away.

He wanted her for his own calf.

Tommy asked, "Daddy, may I have the little twin for my own? May I show her at the fair?"

His father said, "No, Tommy. You are not big enough to take care of a calf. You are not old enough to show a calf at the fair. You can show a calf there when you are as old as Willie is now."

That was not what Tommy wanted. He wanted the little twin.

Willie took good care of his calf.

When Willie went to the barn, Tommy went there, too.

He looked to see what Willie did for his calf.

Then Tommy did it for the little twin.

He did just what he had seen Willie do.

"If this calf can't be my own, I can take care of her," said Tommy.

"I love this little calf. I will take care of her just for fun."

Tommy took very good care of the little calf.

It was a very good thing that he did take good care of her, too.

You will find out why,

One day Tommy had something for the little calf to eat.

She ran at it so hard that Tommy fell over.

It hurt, but Tommy didn't cry.

Willie laughed when Tommy fell over.

"I told you so!" he said.

"You can't take care of a calf. You are not old enough. You have to be big like me to take care of a calf."

Tommy was mad. He was very mad. He yelled, "I can too take care of my twin! I am not too little!"

After that Tommy tried hard not to fall when the calf ran at him.

Day after day Tommy took care of the little twin.

He loved her more and more.

The little twin began to love Tommy, too.

More and more she did what he wanted her to do.

Tommy called the little calf My Twin.

How he wanted her to be his very own!

One day Willie took his calf out of the barn to let her run.

Tommy took his calf out, too.

When he tried to take her back into the barn, she ran right by it.

She ran so hard that Tommy fell over again.

He just couldn't hold her.

Tommy tried hard.

But his father had to help get the calf back into the barn.

Willie said, "I told you so! You are not old enough to hold a calf."

Now Tommy was mad again. He yelled, "I am too old enough! I take very good care of My Twin! I will hold her from now on! You will see!"

Willie said, "She is not your twin. Dad didn't give her to you."

"That's her name," yelled Tommy. "I call her My Twin."

After that. Tommy did hold his calf.

Day after day Willie did things for Big Twin.

One day he said to Tommy, "Look how high my calf is. I will make him a big calf and make him look good. My calf will get a prize at the fair. He will be the best calf there. You will see!"

How Tommy wanted to take the little twin to the fair!

Tommy just knew the little twin could get a prize there.

If he could just take her to the fair!

Tommy knew he couldn't do that. A boy had to be as old as Willie to show a calf at the fair.

On the day of the fair, Willie got up as soon as it was light,

After he had something to eat he ran to the barn.

He had to get his calf ready for the fair.

Tommy wanted to sleep, but he got up as soon as Willie did. He went with Willie to the barn.

The boys looked in the barn. Willie's calf was not there!

The two boys told their father that Big Twin was not in the barn.

Their father and Willie went to find the calf.

They didn't let Tommy go.

Tommy said to the little twin, "You can't go to the fair. But I will get you ready. I will try hard to make you look good. I want you to look as good as the best calf at the fair."

He got the little twin ready, as if she could go, too.

Soon a big truck came to the barn. A man jumped out of the truck.

"Hello, friend!" he said to Tommy. "Is your calf ready to go?"

He saw that the calf was ready. He put her right into the truck. He didn't let Tommy say a thing.

"Jump up here by me," he said. "You can ride with your calf."

"Let me ask Mother," said Tommy,

Tommy called, "Mother, may I ride in the truck to the fair?"

His mother didn't know that Willie's calf was out.

She didn't know that his father and Willie were not there,

"Yes," she said.

"You may ride in the truck."

Tommy got into the big, high truck with the man. Off they went to the fair.

When they got to the fair, the man in the truck said, "Come on! Hurry! Take your calf out. I must go get two more. I must get them here for the show."

Then the truck man called to a man with a big black book.

"Here is the calf from the Whites' farm," he said,

The man with the book asked, "Is your name White?"

Tommy said, "Yes, but I am Tom—"

The man didn't let Tommy go on talking.

"Put your calf over there," he told Tommy.

He began to write something in his book.

Tommy put the little twin where the man said.

Tommy saw the people looking around at the fair.

They were looking at all the things there.

They looked at the cows.

One man was looking at the little twin.

"I like the looks of that little calf," he said.

"She will make a good cow."

Tommy liked that!

The man with the book yelled out something.

Tommy didn't know what he said.

The boy next to Tommy took his calf to the man with the book.

Then the next boy took his calf over to the man.

All of them did that. All but Tommy. He didn't know what to do. He knew the little twin was not the right twin.

He knew he was not Willie.

The man began to count, "One, two, three, four, five, six." Then he looked at his book.

"There is one more calf," he said "I have not seen the calf from the White farm. Where is it?"

Then he saw Tommy and said, "Come on with your calf, boy."

Tommy took the little twin over with the others.

Each boy took his calf around the man with the book. Then the man said, "Stop!"

One calf didn't stop. He ran away. Two or three jumped and ran around.

The boys couldn't hold them.

The man said, "Take them away!"

The little twin didn't jump run around.

She did just what Tommy wanted her to do.

Each boy took his calf around the man again and again.

Tommy saw the man look hard at each calf and write in his black book.

Then the man came over to the little twin.

He had something that said First Prize.

All the people were looking at the man.

They looked at Tommy and his calf, too.

The man asked, "Is this your own calf?"

"No, it is Daddy's," said Tommy, "I am not Willie. I am Tommy. I am not old enough to show a calf at the fair. Willie has the other twin. His calf was to come to the fair, but it got away."

"Too bad!" said the man.

"You and this calf make a good show together. The calf is little, but she will make a good cow. We wanted her to have first prize. We can't give it to her if she is not the right calf. The prize must go to this boy over here."

Then the man said, "Tommy, come back when you are old enough. You will get the prize then if you have the best calf."

Just then Tommy's father came up.

"We did find Willie's calf," he said.

"We just couldn't get it here for the show."

Then he said to Tommy, "That is your calf from now on. You took care of it. You are big enough to have a calf of your own."

"Oh, thank you!" said Tommy. "My Twin is the one thing I wanted! Now she is my very own!"

=============================================

Anna was a little girl who lived in a big, high house, It was an apartment house.

Other people lived in that apartment house, too.

But they didn't live with Anna.

He lived with his little sister, Annika. and his mother and father.

They all lived together in one apartment.

Other people lived in the other apartments.

Anna and Annika didn't have a pet,

They both wanted one.

Both of them wanted a dog for a pet.

Each of them said, "A dog is the best pet for us."

Anna asked, "Dad, will we ever get a dog?"

His father said, "We can't have a dog in this apartment. If we ever live on a farm, you may have one."

"It will be a big dog, won't it, Dad?" asked Anna.

Annika said, "Oh, no. Daddy! I don't want an old dog. It will be a little dog that I can hold."

"You make me mad!" said Anna. "I won't have a little dog!"

"Don't quarrel," said their father. "We will see about the dog when we live on a farm."

One day their father came home from work looking very happy.

"Get your things ready!" he said, "We are going to the farm."

"Oh!" yelled Anna and Annika. "Will we live on the farm?"

"Yes, we will," said their father.

"What about your work, Dad?" asked Anna.

His father said, "I will come here to work each morning.

Then I will go back to the farm at night."

"Who will do the work on the farm?' asked Anna.

His father said, "A farmer will work it for us. He lives on the next farm. He will take care of the cow, too. You and Annika can help him."

Oh, is there a cow?" asked Annika.

Her father said, "Yes, and a little calf and goats. There is an old barn, too. You can play in it."

"Is there a dog on the farm?" asked Anna.

"Now," said his father, "That's one thing I didn't ask about."

Soon they all went to live in their new home.

They took their things in a big red truck.

When they got there, a big dog ran out of the house.

"Oh, look!" yelled Anna.

"That dog is just what I wanted!"

Annika was not happy. The dog was so big he scared her. She knew that he was Anna's dog, She did so want a little dog!

Just then Annika saw a little puppy! It was just the right puppy for her, She loved it right away.

The puppy ran right to Annika. She took him up to hold him.

"My little puppy!" she said. "My own little puppy! You are the cutest little dog! Anna can have that other one."

Annika and Anna had fun at their new home.

They liked to run and play with their dogs.

They liked to help the farmer work on the farm.

They could help him take care of the cow and calf and horse.

They could help him with the goats, They could do other things.

They had new friends there, too.

The farmer had two children, a girl and a boy.

The boy's name was Willie, and the girl's name was Tommy.

Willie came to see Anna each day, He was the best friend Anna ever had.

One day Anna said, "I will tell you what! Let's play cowboys. This will be my horse."

"Yes, let's do that," said Willie,

"I will be a cowboy," said Annika.

"You can't be a cowboy," said Anna, "Girls can't be cowboys."

"I don't have on a dress," said Annika.

"I can try to be a cowboy. I have seen girl cowboys in books."

"I will ask Willie about it," said Anna.

"How about it, Willie?"

Willie looked at Annika. "We are looking for a horse thief," he said.

"Can you catch a horse thief?"

"Yes," said Annika.

"Will you be scared?" asked Willie.

"No," said Annika.

Willie said, "All right, but if you get scared, you can't play."

"What are you playing?" asked Tommy.

"We are not playing," said Willie, "We are cowboys. We are after a horse thief. A thief got a horse from the barn last night."

"Not one of Daddy's horses?" asked Tommy.

"No," said Willie. "The horse thief is just make-believe."

"Oh!" said Tommy.

"We must catch that thief!"

"That's right!" said Willie.

"Let's find him! To horse, boys!" he yelled.

Each of the children got on a make-believe horse.

They went after the make-believe thief.

They didn't catch the thief, but they had fun.

"I know what let's do," said Willie.

"Let's sleep in the barn all night,

If the horse thief came in the night, we could catch him."

"That's right!" said Anna. "If we sleep in the barn, we can catch him."

"Yes, let's sleep in the barn," said Tommy and Annika.

Willie said, "You can't do it, Annika, You will get scared if you do."

"No, I won't!" said Annika.

"Yes, you will," said Willie. "You will get scared and cry."

"I won't get scared!" said Annika. "I want to sleep in the barn." She began to cry.

"Oh, all right," said Willie. "But if you get scared, you can't be a cowboy."

Willie and Tommy ran home to ask if they could sleep in the barn.

Anna and Annika talked to their mother and father about it.

The mothers and fathers said the children could sleep there.

That night the four children went to make up their beds in the barn. They took the two dogs with them. They soon had their beds ready.

At first they talked and laughed together.

Then one by one they went to sleep.

That night something out by the barn said, "Who! Who! Who!"

Anna heard it. He sat up in bed.

Again he heard it say, "Who! Who! Who!"

Anna was scared. He wanted to be back in his own little bed.

"Who! Who! Who!" the noise came again.

Anna got up and went out of the barn.

He ran to the house and got into his own bed.

It felt so good!

"My bed is the best bed of all," said Anna, as he went back to sleep,

Soon Tommy heard a noise. She sat up in bed. The noise was in the barn. Tommy looked all around, but she couldn't find out what it was, Then she heard the noise again.

Tommy was scared!

She ran out of the barn.

She ran back to her house.

She got into her own bed.

It felt so good!

Soon she went back to sleep.

It began to rain. Willie heard it and sat up. He didn't know what the noise was, but he didn't like it. It scared him. He wanted to be at home.

Willie got up and went out.

He got very wet in the rain as he ran home.

When he got there, he took off his wet things.

Then he got into his own bed.

It felt so good!

It was the best bed he ever had!

The moon was down, and the night was black.

Now Annika heard something. She sat up in bed.

Annika said, "Anna! What is that?" She heard no one.

She called, "Willie! Tommy!" Again she heard no one.

Annika looked around and saw that the other children were not there.

Annika began to get scared, but she didn't cry.

Just then she felt something.

She looked down.

There was her little dog by her,

Annika took the little dog up to hold him.

He got up close to her. He felt so good!

Both Annika and the little dog went back to sleep close together.

Morning came. There was no more rain. As soon as it was light, Annika went back to the house.

"Oh, Annika!" said her mother. "Were you scared?"

Annika said, "No, Mother. I am a cowboy. Cowboys are brave."


	3. Rockets Away

Willie was a Williepy little boy. That is why he was called Willie. It was not his name. At first people called him Williepy, Then they just said Willie.

Willie liked pets and play and people. He liked boys and bikes and birds. He liked trees and tricks and trucks. He liked to fish. The thing he liked best was rockets.

He didn't have a rocket. He had not seen one. He had seen them on TV. and he had a big book about rockets.

One day Willie said, ''Mother, I want to go to the moon. I want to go in a rocket."

"Rockets! Rockets!" said Willie's mother. "You don't talk about anything but rockets!"

Willie's father said, "If you go to the moon, what will you do?

It will be hard to walk on the moon."

"Why?" asked Willie.

"It is hard to stay down on it," said his father.

"You will weigh very little on the moon."

"Oh," said Willie.

"My rocket book told me that.

I know that people weigh very little on the moon. Rocket men do something about that. The men put on something to help them stay down on the moon. Then they walk on the moon in big, high jumps. They jump like a rabbit, but a rabbit can't jump as high. It is a kind of rabbit walk."

Willie's mother laughed. She said, "You don't have anything to put on to help you stay down. So you can't do that kind of walk."

"The rocket men could give me the right thing," said Willie.

His father said, "You are not old enough for that."

Willie said, "No, not now." He felt bad.

He didn't know about the fun he was going to have at the fair.

The next day Willie and his mother and father went to the fair.

They went on the bus.

The busman said, "You will like the fair.

You can see just about anything there!"

Willie's mother wanted to see the cakes and other things that people bake.

His father wanted to go where he could see the new trucks.

His mother said, "You two go look at the things you like We will get together again when we are ready to eat."

"All right," said Willie's father, "Come with me."

Mother said, "Stay with Daddy, Willie, so you won't get hurt or lost."

Willie and his father looked first at the big red and yellow trucks.

Then they walked around to see what other things they could see.

They saw many horses and cows They saw a cow and a calf that Willie liked.

He said, "That's the cutest little calf!"

They walked on and on and saw many other things they both liked.

Willie liked all the things that had wheels!

But he didn't get anything with wheels.

He did get a balloon and a ball.

"Look, Daddy!" yelled Willie. "See how that boy is walking! Why does he walk like that? How does he jump so high?"

"The pack on his back makes him do it," said Willie's father. "The pack has a kind of gas in it. The gas is very light. It helps the boy to jump high."

"What kind of gas is it?" asked Willie,

His father said, "It is called helium."

"Does my little balloon have helium in it?" asked Willie.

"No," said his father. "Your balloon has air in it. Air is a kind of gas, too. It is not as light as helium. The helium packs are very light. They make the boy bounce high. If he had on two of them, they could hold him up in the air."

The man put two packs on a big boy.

Then that boy bounced high when he walked.

He bounced in big, high jumps.

It looked as if he were walking on the moon!

"The busman on the bus was right!" said Willie's father.

"One can see just about anything at the fair."

"Hurry! Hurry!" yelled the man with the helium packs, "Try a walk on the moon. Come one! Come all! Come walk on air!"

Just then the man saw Willie and his father.

"How about it, little man?" he asked.

"Don't you want to walk on the moon?"

"Oh, yes, I do!" said Willie, 'May I try it, Daddy?"

"Let me see about it first," said his father.

"I don't want you to float away."

"Oh, he can't do that," said the man. "He won't have enough helium packs to make him float away. This rope will hold him, too."

"Please, Daddy!" said Willie. "The rope will hold me."

"All right," said his father, "It looks like fun."

"First I must find out what you weigh," said the man.

"Then I will know how many packs you must have. Too many packs of this kind of gas will make you float in the air. The packs must be just right to make you walk on the moon."

"What do I weigh?" asked Willie.

The man said, "You weigh just enough for one helium pack."

The man put one of the helium packs on Willie, Willie began to float! He floated up and up!

Willie came down, then he bounced right up again.

"Let out the rope!" yelled Willie. The man let out all the rope. Willie went very high. He went right over a little tree.

"This is fun!" yelled Willie.

"Look at me, Daddy!

I am walking on the moon!"

"I want your mother to see this,' said his father. "I will get her." He went to get Willie's mother.

Willie walked back to the man.

Willie said, "That was fun! Now I want to try to float in the air. Will more packs make me float?"

"Yes," said the man. "You will float if I give you one more pack."

"Could I float away?" asked Willie,

"Oh, no," said the man. "You can't float away. This rope will hold you."

"Please let me try it," said Willie,

"All right," said the man.

He put one more pack on Willie.

Then Willie began to float.

He didn't bounce up high and then come down again.

He just began to float in the air.

He didn't come down at all.

"Look at me!" he yelled.

"I am floating!

Mother and Daddy, come and look, Just then the rope came in two! Away went Willie. He went over a little house. He went up, and up, and up. He went over the trees.

The man ran after Willie. He tried to catch hold of the rope, but he couldn't.

"Come back! Come back!" he yelled. Willie didn't come back. He just floated on and on. He was floating away when his mother and father came back.

"Oh! Oh!" yelled Willie's mother, "Stop him! Stop him! He is floating away!" No one could stop Willie.

A man was working on a very high pole.

Willie floated close to the pole.

His father called to the man on the pole, "He is going close to you. Try to cut the pack. Cut the pack and let the helium out. Then he will float down."

Willie floated close to the man on the pole, but not close enough. The man couldn't cut the pack, Willie floated away.

Then Willie floated back again.

This time he floated right up to the pole.

The man on the pole cut one of the packs!

All the helium went out of that pack.

Willie began to float down.

Willie floated down, down, down.

"Oh, Willie! Willie!" called his mother, "Don't ever do that again! if You scared me so!"

"No, Mother," said Willie.

"I won't. I was scared, too. I didn't want to float away."

Willie and the Rocket

Willie didn't have a sister. He did have a big brother. Willie's big brother didn't live with him and his mother and father. He was away at work. He worked with rockets.

When Willie's brother came to see him, he told Willie about his work.

He told about the many people who were working together.

They were trying to make a rocket to take a man around the earth.

"Will you go around the earth in the rocket?" asked Willie.

"No," said his brother. "My friend will go up in it. I help get it ready to blast off."

Willie knew "blast-off" was the time when the rocket first went into the air.

"Many others help to get it ready," said Willie's brother.

"Each one of us must do good work.

If just one does not do his best, the rocket may not work."

One day Willie asked, "When will my brother come again?

I want to talk with him.

I want to know more about the man who is going around the earth."

"He can't come now," said Willie's mother.

"Here is a letter from him. He wants us to go to see him. The rocket will soon go up to take a man around the earth. He wants you to see the blast-off."

That night Willie's mother showed his father the letter.

"Please, Daddy!" said Willie. "Let's go!"

"What about school?" asked his father.

"There will be no school that day," said Mother.

"School will be out for the holidays."

"That's right," said Willie's father.

"If we go on an airplane, we can get back before the holidays are over.

I do want Willie to see the man go up in the rocket."

"That's what his brother wants, too," said Mother.

"I will write him that we will go."

Willie began jumping up and down and yelling, "Oh, boy! Oh, boy! I am going to see that rocket!" He ran to get his rocket book.

Willie's brother came to the airplane to get them.

As soon as Willie saw him he asked, "When will the rocket blast off?

When will your friend go around the earth?"

His brother said, "In the morning. He will go around the earth then if the weather is right."

'I want to see him go," said Willie,

Next morning Willie and his mother and father went out to see the rocket.

Many, many people were there to see it blast off.

The weather was right.

The rocket was ready.

Willie said, "The man in the rocket is called an astronaut.

If he does go around the earth, we will say that he orbits.

I saw that in my rocket book."

"Good for you!" said his father. "Now we want him to orbit!"

The countdown began. Willie knew about the countdown, too, A man counted to let the others know when to blast off.

The blast-off didn't come.

They had to stop the countdown before it was over.

Something was not right with the rocket.

The astronaut couldn't go up.

He couldn't orbit that day, after all.

Willie's brother felt very bad about it.

"We are working hard," he said.

"We will get things right with the rocket before we try again.

The astronaut will go up soon."

Willie asked, "Can we stay here? Will we be here when the rocket does go up?"

"You have just four more holidays,' said his father.

"You must go back to school when the holidays are over."

The men worked very hard to get the rocket ready.

It had to be just right before it could orbit the earth.

The astronaut could not go up if the rocket was not right.

Day after day went by.

The school holidays were over, and the rocket was not ready.

Willie and his mother and father had to go back home.

Willie said, "I want to come back when the rocket does go up."

One day Willie's brother called. He said, "We are ready to try again, Dad. Can Willie come?"

Willie heard his father say, "No. The rocket may not go up this time. You may have to try again and again before it orbits. The school holidays are over. We can't take Willie out of school each time you try."

The next morning Willie got up to see the rocket on TV.

His father was right.

It didn't go up that day.

The rain came before it could go, and the weather was bad.

Again they had to stop the countdown.

Willie wanted to cry, but he didn't.

"When will the astronaut go around the earth?" Willie asked.

His father said, "I don't know, but they will try again."

The men did try again and again. Each time they had to stop. The weather was not right.

One day Willie's brother called again

He said, "The rocket is ready, Dad. and the weather looks good.

The astronaut may go this time.

Please let Willie come for one day.

If the rocket does not go up this time, I won't ask again."

"I will go to Willie's school and ask about it," said his father. He did, and they went that night!

The next morning Willie's father said, "Get up, Willie!

The weather is right, and the rocket may go up."

Willie and his mother and father went out.

The big rocket was ready to go.

"Now it will orbit," said Willie.

His father said, "It may not go up after all. Something may not be right, but we can't come back again."

"Yes, Daddy, I know," said Willie. How he wanted that rocket to go!

The countdown began.

Willie heard the countdown go on and on.

When it was over, he saw a bright Hght and heard a big noise.

The blast-off had come.

The rocket was off!

Willie saw it go up, up, up. The brave astronaut was off to orbit the earth!

The rocket went so high they couldn't see it.

They all went in to look at TV.

They saw people on TV who were talking to the astronaut.

Willie heard the astronaut talking to them from the rocket.

The astronaut said that things were all right in the rocket. He was all right, too. The rocket was in orbit! It was going around the earth.

Willie saw a boat on TV. It was ready to get the astronaut when he came down.

The rocket went around and around the earth. Then it began to come down.

Willie saw it on TV.

The astronaut was down!

He was all right!

He had orbited the earth!

Thanks for Reading Pippi's Lands of Pleasure

THE END


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